The present invention relates to a moisture monitoring system that can be used to monitor wetting of garments, diapers, nappies, incontinence pads and alike sanitary products.
Generally speaking modern disposable diapers and nappies are designed so as to include a hydrophobic lining that faces or contacts a wearer's skin and a hydrophilic core or reservoir for storing liquid. During use, the vast majority of liquid is drawn through the hydrophobic lining to the hydrophilic core so that the wearer feels dry and comfortable. When the capacity of the hydrophilic core is exceeded, liquid ceases to be wicked away from the hydrophobic lining and the wearer will inevitably beginning to feel wet and uncomfortable.
Incontinence often manifests as periodic leakage of relatively small amounts of urine and the reservoirs of modern disposable diapers and pads are capable of absorbing a series of leakages before it requires changing.
In the case of incontinent elderly or disabled patients that have been admitted to caring facilities such as nursing homes, a major duty of the staff of the caring facility is to determine when a diaper or pad requires changing. It is standard practice for this to be carried out by staff manually inspecting the wetness of diapers and pads on a routine basis. However, this type of acute patient management is labour intensive and may create some embarrassment for the patient.
It is an object of the present invention to enable the staff of a caring facility to monitor the wetness of a diaper without carrying out manual inspection that is now standard practice.